The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of adhesive application and more particularly to label adhesive application.
Labels can be affixed to bottles in order to provide information, advertisement, and safety mechanisms. A typical label includes a substrate such as paper, plastic, or paper-foil combination. The substrate is usually printed on one or both sides with text and graphics. Many labels are semi-permeable or not permeable.
When a label is applied to a bottle at a packaging plant, a labeling machine applies an adhesive to the label and applies the label to the bottle. Afterwards, the label can be pressed or brushed to the bottle to ensure good adhesion. There is a delay between when the adhesive is first applied to the label and when the label is pressed to the bottle. Depending on the speed of the bottling machine, the delay can vary.
When the adhesive is applied the substrate of the label, the adhesive can begin to react with the substrate. For instance, the solvent or water of the adhesive can begin to soak into the substrate of the label. Especially when the label is not permeable and the delay is large, the solvent cannot escape, and the substrate can begin to swell causing the label to curl. For example, when the substrate is paper and the adhesive is water-based, the paper can absorb the water and swell. A curled label is unattractive, culling of otherwise good product, and may cause machinery malfunctions.
Therefore, there is a need for adhesive systems and methods to prevent label curling. Furthermore, there is a need for inexpensive labeling systems that are attractive.